Ch62: Practical Magic with Beryl & Thea

Almost immediately, Krvavy realizes that she has no idea what she is doing. Or even what she is supposed to be doing. Is she expected to meditate, or what...?

Just as the barbarian is about to open her eyes back up and ask, Beryl’s gentle voice speaks out. “Breathe deeply and slowly.” The Elf softly instructs. “Calm yer ‘eart and yer thoughts. Relax yer body and yer mind. Look into yerself.”

While rather vague, those instructions are surprisingly helpful. Though that is mostly because it confirms that this is supposed to be some sort of meditation. But even knowing that, it still takes Krvavy over a minute to calm her thoughts down. Which feels weirdly fast considering that she has never actually done this before...

An odd sense of deja vu washes over Krvavy, prompting her to furrow her brow and focus on the darkness of her closed eyelids. She isn’t quite sure, but she is almost imagining her body floating in an empty void that is neither dark nor light. Turning her attention to that image disorientates her and nearly pushes the barbarian out of this meditative state, only just barely staying in with help from Beryl’s calm tone and slowly repeating words.

Krvavy has some difficulty comprehending what exactly she is seeing. Or what she is imagining...? Her body appears to be a misty and translucent white with a gloomy gleam shining out from her skin. Almost as if she were some sort of ghost... And beneath that ethereal exterior are rivers of purple-blue energy flowing around, looking akin to veins.

In the center of her chest, beneath her ghostly breasts, lays a sphere of blindingly bright light which pulses with power. Each beat pushes the purple-blue energy in four separate directions through the false veins that fill her form.

One thicket travels up towards her head, gnarling into a shining node set into the base of her mouth, where throat meets teeth. Two more sprout out from the sides of the core, twisting down an arm each and coalescing in her palms, where they further bleed out into her fingers as wispy strands. The final channel is thicker than the others, heading downwards from the core where it soon splits in three: one trails down to the tip of her tail, bleeding out along the way as if it were frayed, while the other two travel down her legs to tangled nodes in the balls of her draconic feet.

“Ya see it all, my dearest love?” Beryl’s distant voice asks, slightly startling Krvavy. “No, no, my dearest love! Keep gazin’ inta yerself! It is important ta be able ta do this through distractions, though don’t ya worry Ah’ll keep those ta just words~!”

“Uhmm... Okay...” The barbarian replies, feeling even more disorientated as she hears her voice echo far away from her ghostly self.

“Ya ready ta learn a new type o’ magic now? Ah... probably should’a discussed this wit’ ya before... But no matter, Ah figured we’d start wit’ Wind: beyond Earth Ah ‘ave the most trouble wit’ tha’, so if Ah can teach it ta ya then Nature and Beast’ll be easy. But if ya’d rather start wit’ one o’ the others...”

“Wind sounds good to me.” Krvavy replies, breathing deeply and just barely keeping the wavering vision of her ethereal form in her minds eye.

“Good, good. Now, uh, one more thing before we begin...” The Elf awkwardly pauses, audibly taking a breath. “Would ya like ta learn Wind Magic in general or a specific spell, which’d ‘ave ta be Windborne Haste as tha’ is the only one Ah know tha’d be useful ta ya? Neither choice is wrong, it just depends on wha’ ya want ta get out o’ it. Focusin’ on Wind Magic will likely take a little longer, as it’ll be more work ta level it up ta five fer ya ta get the free spell. But tha’ spell should be somethin’ good fer ya, and might even be better than wha’ Ah can teach ya.”

If Krvavy remembers correctly, Windborne Haste increases reaction time and how fast she’ll be able to move, though she has no idea how much mana it’ll cost her... But it does sound useful, especially since she has pretty much committed to a melee build. Being able to move faster, even if just for short bursts, could help her get a hit on an agile opponent or make it so that they can’t just run circles around her...

“Windborne Haste will make me be able to move quicker when I use it, right?” The barbarian’s distant sounding voice asks. “I could use something like that.”

“Alrighty. Good. Now let us begin.” Beryl’s gentle voice slowly echoes through the void behind Krvavy’s eyelids. “Think o’ the wind, the ever-present air. The gentle breeze flowin’ through fields o’ wheat and whisperin’ through the leaves o’ a forest. The steady gust tha’ moves the clouds across the sky. The harsh gale blowin’ over ‘ills, carryin’ wit’ it sand, snow, and storm. It is the ever-movin’ breath o’ the world.”

The Elf gives Krvavy a few minutes to take all of that in, slowly repeating and emphasizing the swiftness of the winds. Focusing on those thoughts makes Krvavy feel ever so slightly lighter, though whether that is all in her imagination or not is... uncertain.

“Keep all o’ tha’ in yer mind, and look deeply inta yerself.” Beryl moves on after a little while. “Focus on yer core, on the power radiatin’ off o’ it. Breathe the air in, and blow the wind out. Just as yer lungs can move the wind, so too can yer ethereal ‘eart. Push out tha’ energy from yer core, let it free from the confines o’ yer channels. Let it suffuse through yer body. Feel the wind at yer back. Feel ‘ow it guides ya along. Like a bird soarin’ through the sky, carried by the wind beneath it’s wings.”

Krvavy follows her Elf’s soft instructions, letting her mana bleed out from their channels and into her ghostly form. Her body tingles and she nearly shivers, feeling as if gentle hands are trailing across her skin. The channels and nodes pulse in time with her core, pushing power out all around them. A fresh breeze fills her lungs, the fingers of wind play with her hair. Her glowing core throbs and–

With a gasp, Krvavy’s perception is suddenly shunted out, her eyes opening wide and taking in the sight of the hot spring, which is the same as it was before. Her head spins ever so slightly and the faintest feeling of nausea passes over her.

“Not bad fer ya first try.” Beryl smiles out. “Ah saw some o’ the steam blow away from ya, so ya were doin’ somethin’ right. Though, in ‘indsight, this wasn’t exactly the best place ta try learnin’ Wind Magic, sittin’ in the wa’er o’ a hot spring... Ya would’a ‘ad better luck if ya were movin’, or even just standin’ around.”

“And having more mana wouldn’t have hurt either.” Krvavy points out, as that brief bit of casting used up what little she had left.

“Aye.” The Elf agrees. “But at least we know ya can learn magic incredibly easily. Because, ta be completely honest, Ah didn’t do tha’ good a job walkin’ ya through it... Ah’m pretty miserable at teachin’ stuff like this. Yer maxed affinities are really somethin’ though.”

“I think you did an alright job.” Krvavy replies. “I don’t think I would have done as well without your help, as I had a bit of trouble getting into it at the start and–”

“AAGH!” Thea suddenly shouts in anger, cutting Krvavy off as she slams her hands down into the hot spring pool, splashing water up into the air.

“Guess ya didn’t ‘ave as much luck?”

“OF COURSE I DID NOT YOU KNIFE EARED CRONE!” The noble brat vehemently cries back.

“No need to get upset over it.” The barbarian tries to calm the girl down. “What was the problem?”

“The problem?! Why, myself of course!” Thea ruefully spits out. “I am a failure at magic! Even with a skill and a spell I still cannot do so much as move mana through my channels!”

“Wha’ were ya tryin’ ta visualize?” Beryl asks, trying to help the girl.

“What indeed!” Thea maniacally states. “It is damned sex magic! How am I supposed to see that as power!? Elemental magic is easy in comparison, and I can not even do that! So how can I ever properly learn this accursed magic?! Wind is strong and can blow houses down! Water can bring entire cliffs down into the sea! Earth has giant unmoving mountains! Fire burns things! What the fuck does sex do?!”

“Pleasure. It–”

“I KNOW IT CAUSES FUCKING PLEASURE YOU DAMNED LIZARD!”

“Calm yerself, girl. Such words’ll get ya nowhere!” Beryl icily stares down the noble brat. “Ta think o’ magic as simply a power ta use is yer problem. If tha’ is ‘ow ya humans think o’ it, then it is a miracle tha’ any o’ ya can even cast a single spell!”

“Then. How. Is. It. DONE?!” The noble brat furiously demands to know.

“Tsk tsk.” The Wood Elf clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “Ya’ll never make any progress wit’ yer current mindset. Do ya even ‘ear wha’ Ah’m sayin’? Ya can’t just make demands and expect yer will ta be fulfilled. Magic may be able ta do things tha’ would otherwise be unthinkable, but ya still need ta put the work in! Can ya just demand tha’ ya’re strong enough ta lift a ‘eavy rock? No. So why would tha’ work ‘ere?”

“I have spent years failing at this!” Thea almost growls those words. “I do not need your preaching!”

“Ah’m not preachin’ ta ya, girl.” The Elf coldly states, not tolerating Thea’s frustrated anger. “Ah’m simply tryin’ ta help ya. If ya don’t want it, then ya can figure it out on your own.”

“Thea,” Krvavy steps in before her two girls truly start fighting again, “take a deep breath. Your Eromancy isn’t just sex magic. It is pleasure magic.”

“I. Know. That.” The silver-blonde noble forces her response out between clenched teeth.

“So what were you thinking about? To help move your mana around?” The barbarian questions.

Thea’s face flushes as she scowls angrily. “That is none of your business!”

“My dearest love is trying ta help ya, ya impudent brat!” Beryl hisses, narrowing her blue-green eyes into thin slits. “Not tha’ ya deserve it! Especially wit’ this tone o’ yers!”

“Beryl, it’s alright. She is just frustrated.” Krvavy calms her Elf, before turning back to her noble brat. “Thea, if you don’t want help, then just say so. But if you do, then we need to know what you need help with.”

Thea’s eye twitches as she barely keeps her composure, having to take a deep breath to stop herself from shouting. “I was thinking about you! HAPPY!?” What little bit of calm she was able to muster cracks in an instant, her face flushing a bright shade of red. “I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU DEFILED ME! HOW GOOD THAT HUMILIATING ACT FELT! YOUR WARMTH AND YOUR FIRMNESS LODGED INSIDE OF ME! HOW YOU RUINED ME!”

Neither Krvavy nor Beryl respond, giving Thea a chance to tire herself out.

The noble brat simmers in rage, her whole body quivering as she glares at Krvavy, a mix of conflicting emotions flashing across her face. “How am I such a gods damned FAILURE!?” She rages, violently slamming an open palm into the water. “No matter how hard I try, I can never do ANYTHING RIGHT! Unlike you disgusting SAVAGES who can do EVERYTHING better and without any EFFORT!”

Sighing softly, Krvavy leans forwards and grabs onto Thea’s shoulders, dragging the furious brat through the water towards her.

“UNHAND ME! BEAST! UGH!” Thea angrily calls out as she puts up a token resistance.

The noble brat slides into Krvavy’s lap, unhappily crossing her arms as the barbarians firmly wraps her own around the girl. Thea’s anger slowly burns away as Krvavy hugs onto her, though her annoyance does grow as Khalia joins in, rubbing her head against Thea’s back.

“It’s alright...” Krvavy whispers out, bringing a hand up to stroke Thea’s silken silver-blonde hair.

“No, it is not.” Thea grumbles back, her voice sounding hollow and empty. “I am good for absolutely nothing. I cannot do magic. I cannot wield a blade. I cannot use a bow. I cannot read without getting a headache. I cannot so much as even cook. My life was going nowhere before I was disposed of through a loveless political marriage, which failed before it even began. Nothing about me is alright. I am pathetic. So damned pathetic...”

Krvavy opens her mouth to say something in an attempt to help make Thea feel better, but before she can even speak Beryl suddenly appears beside her, startling the barbarian just a little. The Elf had moved across the water of the hot spring without her even noticing.

Meeting Krvavy’s eyes, Beryl simply shakes her head as Thea drones on about how much of a failure she is. The Elf looks rather bored and disappointed at the same time.

Loudly clicking her tongue, Beryl’s hand abruptly launches out and slams down over Thea’s ear, gripping it tightly and painfully tugging the noble girl’s head to the side. “Yes, ya are. Absolutely pathetic!” Beryl harshly hisses. “Ya whine and cry all the time, lookin’ fer sympathy when ya should be betterin’ yerself! If ya put even half o’ the time ya spend wallowin’ in self pity into trainin’ then ya wouldn’t ‘ave a reason ta spend all day cryin’!”

The Wood Elf moves her face right up to Thea’s own and stares straight into the girl’s teary eyes. “Our dearest love gifted ya a part o’ ‘er very soul, even if unintentionally! Are ya just goin’ ta waste tha’?! Tha’ greatest gift o’ divine potential?! Ya ‘ave a chance at greatness! A chance tha’ others would kill fer! Tha’ Ah –!” The Elf grimaces. “Are ya goin’ ta keep whinin’ and cryin’ like the infant ya are, or are ya goin’ ta grow up and join the dance o’ life?! People fail, tha’ is a part o’ livin’! Ya’d best get used ta it!”

That sudden outburst catches Krvavy off guard, stunning her completely. It takes a few moments for her mind to catch up, but at that point tears are already freely streaming down Thea’s cheeks. “BERYL!” She roars out. “ENOUGH!”

Beryl lets go of Thea’s sore ear, allowing the crying girl to immediately bury her face into Krvavy’s breasts. Clearly not wanting to be too close to the Elf, she pushes herself more to the side and moves closer to Khalia. The Orc is quick to hug and comfort that girl, making whimpering sounds as she presses Thea against the barbarians body.

“Ya can’t keep coddling ‘er.” The tanned Wood Elf coldly states. “Tha’ is ‘ow she grew up, and look at where tha’ got ‘er.”

“I am not!” Krvavy angrily growls at her tomboy, trying desperately to keep herself under control. “You did not need to abuse her like that!”

“The chick which falls from the nest is left fer dead, yet it must still make the leap fer it ta learn ta fly.” The Elf firmly declares. “If ya do not give ‘er the chance ta grow, then she will not. The world won’t show ‘er the same kindness ya do. Ah may ‘ave been harsh, but she needed ta ‘ear it.”

Krvavy sets her jaw and glares down at the tanned Elf, who doesn’t budge in the slightest. Her rage boils beneath the surface, burning conflicting emotions into her. Beryl was cruel and hurt Thea, both physically and emotionally. Krvavy wants to hurt the Elf in return for that. But that same protective anger is stopping her. She doesn’t want to see Beryl hurt any more than she does Thea...

And the worst part is that Krvavy gets what Beryl is saying. She even agrees with it, at least in part. But the way that Beryl went about it was wrong. The Elf was needlessly cruel, no matter how much she believes it to have been necessary.

So Krvavy has no idea what to do.

Is there any point in berating or reprimanding Beryl? She knows that Krvavy is not happy with her in the slightest.

Is there any point in making this Elf apologize? They all know that it wouldn’t be sincere, not that Thea would accept it either way. But Krvavy could make her sincere... It would just take a couple words for the effects of that damn collar to reshape Beryl...

Even just thinking about that, about whittling away at what is left of who the Elf was, sends a painful jolt through Krvavy’s heart. That pain takes with it most of her anger, leaving the barbarian feeling helpless. It feels like there isn’t anything she can do. And she hates that.

Tearing her eyes away from the Wood Elf woman, Krvavy turns her attention to the crying blonde in her arms. “It’s okay, Thea,” she gently whispers to the girl, “you aren’t pathetic. You have been through a lot. Far more than anyone should be expected to go through. And the fact that you are still holding yourself together, despite everything... That says as much.”

Khalia makes a reassuring noise as she nuzzles against Thea, drawing a choked sob from the girl.

The barbarian rubs the back of Thea’s head and glances at Beryl, who just raises an eyebrow as she sits there with her arms stubbornly crossed.

Slowly sighing out, Krvavy turns her attention back to the quivering form of the noble brat held tightly in her arms. At least the day is just about over.

Leaning down, she gently kisses the top of Thea’s head.